I Am an Ass

Nearly two months ago, I made the long, arduous, thirty-foot trek to my apartment complex's leasing office, which was doubling as my polling place, and registered myself as a Democrat and voted in Colorado's primary. I had two thoughts running through my mind as I did so: 1) I swore I would never do this; and 2) "But, masters, remember that I am an ass." (One of Dogberry's immortal lines from Much Ado About Nothing)

For nine years, I had sworn to never register with any party, to always remain staunchly "unaffiliated". But as my presidential favorite Howard Dean lost to the likes of John Kerry in the Democratic primaries, I realized I wanted a voice in the primaries. Not that it matters much living in Colorado since our primary was in August (and we didn't even have a section on presidential nominee on our ballot, though I had heard Kucinich was still in the running), but it felt good take on even more civic responisbility. For as much as I agree with the Democratic party and like the way they're doing things, I could've just as easily registered Republican. However, the Republican party as a whole seems to have gotten away from actual politics and moved into the nauseating realm of legislating one particular moral agenda. I can't stomach that at all. However, the only palatable thing about the Democratic party at the moment is that there's enough variety of flavors that I can pick and choose what it means to me to be a Democrat. I am not stupid enough to think that this is a good thing. It's just easier on my stomach than the alternative the Republicans offer at the moment.

I hope that one day in my lifetime I'll be able to see true political reform. I hope that one day both parties will make a committment toward actually improving this nation rather than blaming the other party for the problems we face. I hope that one day I can navigate through an election year without the bombardment of "don't listen to him; he didn't serve the military as he was supposed to!" (And isn't it sad that both our choices have this blemish?) And if registering myself Democrat and making my voice heard beyond the general elections is the way I can help bring about those dreams, then I can swallow my bile and my hatred of the way things are and participate. In fact, it wasn't nearly as I hard as I thought it was going to be. It feels like a step measured in nanometers on a journey measured in light years, but the sensation of forward motion makes it worth it.

As a related aside, I've been noticing recently that writers are often the kookiest when it comes to politics. This excludes Ann Coulter and Al Franken - those kooks who later took their kookery to writing are in a special category of "outright nutzoid" in my book. Whether conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican, independent or libertarian, communist or fascist, when a writer sits down and discusses her politics, the insanity meters start going into the red. I'm by no means exempt from this. Hang around long enough and you'll get a sense of my severe absolutism when it comes to politics and the military. And it's not that writers just have it wrong or are truly nuts about politics. It's just that we're extraordinarily dramatic and passionate when it comes to ideas and dialog. It's amazing how that necessary "occupational hazard" bleeds into everything.

And, thus, Kellie's first round of Deep Thoughts on the Weekend comes to a close. Brace yourselves for a week of quick, silly linking and random, abbreviated observations and ponderings.